Success Starts at the Family Table

One of our favorite aspects of living outside of the western world is the emphasis on family time. We've lived in Ecuador with our two boys for 4 months. This year our family will find out what the holidays mean to people in Ecuador. Of course we're curious about special holiday recipes we can share with you too :-)

Ecuador doesn't celebrate thanks-giving on one day. Here, many families gather each Sunday for a family supper, expressing thanks and building intergenerational connections and the always special cousin bond that knit families together.

We loved our extended family suppers as kids; walking up to Grandma's house with the scents of dinner wafting out from the kitchen, setting the formal table, and finding comfort in a tradition of connection that helped us know we were part of something bigger than us, something important... a family. 

Today in the US not only has the Sunday supper become rare, but even daily family meals are more rare than the snow leopard. There are good reasons for it. Kids often move away from their home towns, spreading across the US, or even other countries like Ecuador. More than ever, kids and parents are BUSY and tired. School, sports, activity clubs, events, work, and side-hustles for extra income. Time and energy to make meals can be as challenging as coordinating schedules to share them. Yet, sharing meals is the answer for many of our modern problems. 

Studies have shown us that families who share at least five meals together each week, realize massive benefits. Families who eat at home together are happier, healthier and more successful. 

Kids who eat with their parents:

• have better relationships with their parents,
• are less likely to be obese as kids or adults,
• have lower rates of teen substance abuse,
• have higher self-esteem and positive attitudes,
• experience less emotional and behavioral issues, 
• earn higher marks at school, and
• have better body image and less eating disorders.

We all know that parents of happy, successful kids are more successful and have more energy for doing more of what they love with those they love, rather than trying to solve family problems.

The family meal may not be the answer to every challenge, but it's a great start. It's a form of preventative care. As high-performance health coaches we know that the old saying is true: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". This is particularly relevant when it comes to our families. 

The good news is that you need not strive to be like the Waltons (are we aging ourselves?). Start with one good meal together per week.

• Can you alter the morning routine to take five minutes and share breakfast while you talk about the days plans or what you're looking forward to?
• Can you get your kids involved in planning meals, shopping, or preparing food?
• Can you resurrect the Sunday supper once per month with friends or family?  

All you need to take are small steps. Start where you are and find one little way to bring your family together around food. Ask your family and friends for ideas. We all long for meaningful connection and food has been a traditional way of building strong bonds for millennia. 

Our family eats most of our meals together. We use them to bring us closer. It's an opportunity to ask one another questions, be available if our kids have something on their minds, create a legacy of health by teaching Nikko and Orion about nutrition, world cuisine, spices, and how the foods they eat affect how they feel and perform in school and sports. 

Markus often says that our primary job as parents is to teach our kids how to take care of themselves. Providing them with a strong skillset around diet and health means they have a high chance of optimizing their potential and being the best people they can be. 

JOIN US ON DECEMBER 7TH, Live on these channels: 

https://www.facebook.com/YourVeganFamily

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacy-naugle-7294191a/

If you can't make it, and you're serious about your health and success, schedule a High-Performance Health Discovery Session with us! Book it here.

Written by Stacy and Markus Naugle 

Stacy and Markus Naugle are High-Performance Health Coaches who use food to help you THRIVE, not merely survive.They work with excellence-driven people and families to help them realize their full potential and achieve greater success in business, school, and personal endeavors.  

When you work with them you will leverage the health habits and strategies of the world's most successful people through their Seven Pillars of Health framework, of which the main pillar is diet. They guide their students and clients to develop the skills to become laser-focused energy generators who consistently up-level their successes in work, school, and their personal lives.

Diet is at the center of one's health and the center of their focus. You'll learn how to save time and money preparing delicious meals that provide excellent nutrition for superior results. Explore old favorites with superfood upgrades to new plant-focused recipes and world cuisines. As parents, they also specialize in helping picky eaters enjoy more vegetable and whole foods. 

They are different from other coaches:

• Thirty years of experience
• Molecular Biology degree from MIT
• Emergency Medicine Technician
• Masters degree in Acupuncture
• Licensed East Asian Medicine Provider
• Yoga teachers
• Scientists who delve into the latest medical studies and extract the information that can benefit you and your family

They travel the world researching diet and lifestyle secrets of cultures from the Inuit of northern Alaska to Indonesian healers, Chinese longevity masters, and the Maori of New Zealand. They are currently in Ecuador studying the health and longevity secrets of the Inca with their two adventurous sons, Nikko (12 yrs) and Orion (8 yrs). 

Imagine what you can achieve by working with them!

If you're ready to up-level your personal or family health, schedule your complementary High-Performance Health Discovery Session to explore your fastest path to extraordinary health and performance.